PULLMAN, Wash. — Several hundred plant managers, technical directors, and wood materials scientists and engineers from around the world are attending the annual International Wood Composite Materials Symposium and Technical Workshop at the Washington State University Compton Union Building which began today.
The April 7-10 symposium, which showcases research from WSU’s Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, will feature Mark Suwyn, chairman and CEO of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, as keynote speaker. He will speak on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. on “The Forest Products Industry – The Louisiana-Pacific Perspective.’’
Tuesday’s program session will address manufacturers’ increasing need to provide environmentally friendly products to customers. The session will provide the latest information on North American and European product certification plans for particleboard and engineered wood products.
Wednesday’s session will focus Engineered Wood Composites and their markets, products and process. Experts will discuss market opportunities and trends, and state-of-the-art production processes leading to new applications for engineered wood composites.
Other sessions on Wednesday and Thursday will address quality improvement tools for particleboard, and product and process innovation.
The symposium ends at noon, April 10, followed by an open house and tours of the laboratory, located at the WSU Research and Technology Park,1445 NE Terre View Dr., Suite A, from 1:30 – 4 p.m. The tours are free and open to the public.
The laboratory serves as a consultant to more than 100 companies in the development of engineered wood products and building materials. It is an International Code Council (International Accreditation Service) accredited laboratory.
